By More Matshediso
Pretoria - The Department of Basic Education says the Umalusi standardisation process will consider the issue of load shedding and its possible negative impact on learners’ results to ensure that no learner is disadvantaged due to load shedding.
This following Eskom’s announcement on Sunday that a silo collapse at Majuba power station in Mpumalanga had resulted in power cuts across the country since yesterday.
“The DBE has made provision for any untoward incident or occurrence that may impact learner performance in the NSC [National Senior Certificate] examinations,” the department said.
“Umalusi, the Quality Assurance Council, has a well-established standardisation process that is designed to detect any element of unfairness that confronts a specific group of candidates.”
The department said it will work with provincial departments to ensure that the negative impact of load shedding on candidates is mitigated.
It said practical examinations have already been written and none of the examinations written this week will require electricity as part of the actual examination.
However, the department said where there may be delays due to train services and other unforeseen circumstances, it will be accommodated by the examination centres.
“The first week of the 2014 NSC examinations progressed well around the country with no major incidents reported. Candidates last week began the journey to achieve their National Senior Certificate as a total of 550 127 full-time and 138 533 part-time candidates took their places to write English on day one,” the department said.
The department said learners wrote the first Mathematics paper on Friday, and 318 994 full-time and 30 857 part-time candidates will sit for Mathematical Literacy, while 231 180 full time and 67 652 part time candidates set their sights on the second Mathematics paper today.
On Tuesday, 140 860 full-time and 23 556 part-time candidates will commence their Economics examination, while 41674 full-time and 1 389 part-time candidates will write Computer Application Technology in the second session. - SAnews.gov.za
